1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feed apparatus for feeding a sheet supported by a support section and an image recording apparatus provided with the feed apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a feed apparatus is known, which has a support section for supporting a sheet so that the sheet supported by the support section is fed, for example, to an image recording apparatus. Some of such feed apparatuses are provided with a support section for supporting sheets in a state in which a plurality of sheets are stacked. In this case, a feed roller abuts against the sheet which is disposed on the uppermost side of the sheets supported by the support section so that the sheet disposed on the uppermost side is fed toward the destination.
In the feed apparatus described above, if the feed roller always abuts against the sheet, any foreign matter such as an oil content or the like, which is contained in the rubber used for the feed roller, adheres to the sheet. The applicant of this application has devised a contact-separating mechanism which brings the feed roller into contact with the sheet and separates the feed roller from the sheet, using a driving force to rotate the feed roller.
When the feed roller rotates in a direction to feed the sheet in a direction for feeding the sheet (i.e. a feed direction), the contact-separating mechanism moves the feed roller to the position at which the feed roller abuts against the sheet. On the other hand, when the feed roller rotates in the direction opposite to the above described direction, the contact-separating mechanism moves the feed roller to a position separated from the sheet. That is, the contact-separating mechanism separates the feed roller from the sheet in a state that the feed apparatus feeds no sheet.
In the feed apparatus provided with the contact-separating mechanism described above, when the feed apparatus is constructed such that the sheet is supported in a state in which the support section is inclined, and the sheet is fed obliquely downwardly in the direction of inclination, then it is feared that sheet may be moved in the feed direction in a state in which the feed roller is separated from the sheet supported by the support section.
Accordingly, it is conceived that a stopper is provided on the downstream side in the feed direction of the sheet supported by the support section. The stopper is positioned at the regulation position at which the stopper abuts against the end portion on the downstream side in the feed direction of the sheet to regulate the movement of the sheet in the feed direction in the state in which the sheet is not fed, i.e., in the state in which the feed roller is separated from the sheet. On the other hand, the stopper is positioned at the retracted position at which the stopper does not abut against the end portion on the downstream side in the feed direction of the sheet in the state in which the sheet is fed, i.e., in the state in which the feed roller abuts against the sheet. That is, the stopper is constructed movably between the regulation position and the retracted position.
When the feed apparatus is provided with the contact-separating mechanism and the stopper as described above, it is feared that the following problem may arise. If the feed roller, which has been separated from the sheet, abuts against the sheet supported by the support section while being rotated in the direction of rotation described above (the feed direction) before the stopper is moved from the regulation position to the retracted position, then the sheet may be fed in the feed direction, and the sheet may be brought in contact with the stopper. Therefore, it is feared that the paper jam may be caused thereby.